Ishmael+essay+assignment

=Ishmael essay assignment=

[ Overview ]
To finish our reading and discussion of //Ishmael//, you will write an essay response to one of the following prompts.

After reading //Ishmael//, what can we do to help “save the world”? Develop detailed, specific, plausible option(s), and use specific details from the text to prove why your plan is necessary and why it will work.
 * Prompt A:**

What exactly is Mother Culture, and what does she tell us? Explain her message in your own words, provide examples, and back up your explanation with specific details from the text.
 * Prompt B:**

Do you agree with Ishmael’s statement that the “Taker thunderbolt” – i.e. our civilization – is headed for a crash? Explain why you agree or disagree, backing up your opinion with details from the text and/or other examples.
 * Prompt C:**

In chapter 11, Ishmael presents the following situation: //“Consider this. Let’s suppose you’re one of this nation’s homeless. Out of work, no skills, a wife the same, two kids. Nowhere to turn, no hope, no future. But I can give you a box with a button on it. Press the button and you’ll all be whisked instantly back to prerevolutionary times// [i.e. before the Agricultural Revolution]//. You’ll all be able to speak the language, you’ll all have the skills everyone had then. You’ll never again have to worry about taking care of yourself and your family. You’ll have it made, you’ll be a part of that original affluent society...////So, do you press the button?”// (221) Would you press the button or not? Explain your answer to the question, and support your explanation with details from the text and other relevant examples.
 * Prompt D:**

[ Directions ]

 * 1) Choose one of the prompts above.
 * 2) Develop a complete, detailed response to the prompt using the writing process -- i.e. brainstorming, mapping, drafting, revising, editing, conferencing, and publishing. (Consider using the ReadWriteThink Essay Map during the mapping stage.)
 * 3) Submit your completed essay on Engrade.

[ Requirements ]

 * 1) Your essay must be 2-3 pages (500-750 words) in length.
 * 2) Your essay must use proper MLA formatting (i.e. Times New Roman 12 font, 1" margins, double spacing).
 * 3) Your essay must have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
 * 4) Your essay must have a clear thesis statement that answers the prompt.
 * 5) You must support your thesis with specific references to the text (or, if you see fit, other sources).
 * 6) If you use sources other than //Ishmael//, they must be listed using MLA format on a Works Cited page.

[ Due Date and Grading ]
Your rough draft is due on **Monday, November 14**; the final draft is due on **Monday, November 21**. It will be graded using the ReadWriteThink essay rubric, and will count toward the Papers and Projects portion of your grade.